Former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, center, leaves following his sentencing at federal court Friday, July 17, 2015, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Grimm was sentenced to 8 months in prison on Friday for tax evasion. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen) ORG XMIT: NYKH202 less

Former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, center, leaves following his sentencing at federal court Friday, July 17, 2015, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Grimm was sentenced to 8 months in prison on Friday for tax ... more

Photo: Kevin Hagen

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Former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, center, arrives ahead of his sentencing at federal court Friday, July 17, 2015, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Grimm pleaded guilty late last year to aiding in filing a false tax return, a charge that stemmed from an investigation into the Staten Island Republican's campaign financing. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen) ORG XMIT: NYKH102 less

Former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, center, arrives ahead of his sentencing at federal court Friday, July 17, 2015, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Grimm pleaded guilty late last year to aiding in filing a ... more

Photo: Kevin Hagen

Image 3 of 5

Former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, center, leaves following his sentencing at federal court Friday, July 17, 2015, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Grimm was sentenced to 8 months in prison on Friday for tax evasion. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen) ORG XMIT: NYKH203 less

Former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, center, leaves following his sentencing at federal court Friday, July 17, 2015, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Grimm was sentenced to 8 months in prison on Friday for tax ... more

Photo: Kevin Hagen

Image 4 of 5

Former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, center, leaves following his sentencing at federal court Friday, July 17, 2015, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Grimm was sentenced to 8 months in prison on Friday for tax evasion. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen) ORG XMIT: NYKH204 less

Former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, center, leaves following his sentencing at federal court Friday, July 17, 2015, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Grimm was sentenced to 8 months in prison on Friday for tax ... more

Photo: Kevin Hagen

Image 5 of 5

Ex-U.S. Rep. Grimm gets 8-month prison sentence

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New York

Michael Grimm, a former New York congressman and FBI agent who once investigated white-collar crime, was sentenced Friday to 8 months in prison for tax evasion by a judge who said his "moral compass" needed adjustment.

Grimm, 45, pleaded guilty late last year to aiding in filing a false tax return — a charge that stemmed from an investigation into the Staten Island Republican's campaign financing.

U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen said the crime included exploiting immigrant laborers, including some paid as little as $4.60 an hour.

"He knew what he was doing was illegal, wrong and criminally punishable," she said. Grimm, "of all people, knew better."

"I want to apologize to the court for even being here," said Grimm, adding that he had cheated on taxes to keep a business afloat.

"I didn't want to fail and I made bad decisions that I'll regret for the rest of my life," he said, prompting the judge to criticize his "belated remorse."

Prosecutors had sought at least 2 years behind bars.

Prosecutors said the tax fraud began in 2007 after Grimm retired from the FBI and began investing in a Manhattan restaurant called Healthalicious. An indictment accused him of underreporting more than $1 million in wages and receipts to evade payroll, income and sales taxes, in part by paying immigrant workers, some of them in the country illegally, in cash.

Grimm got to Congress by scoring an upset win over first-term Democratic Rep. Michael McMahon in 2010. He won re-election in November while fighting the charges but later resigned.

The government cited a news conference last year outside the Brooklyn courthouse where Grimm called the case "a political witch hunt."